iron

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel: a chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.
2. (countable, uncountable) Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.
3. (countable) A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.
4. (countable, uncountable) Any of several other tools traditionally made of wrought iron, now usually of steel.
5. (countable, plural-normally, uncountable) Shackles.
6. (countable, slang, uncountable) A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.
7. (uncountable) A dark shade of the color silver.
8. (Cockney, countable, offensive, slang) A male homosexual.
9. (countable, uncountable) A golf club used for middle-distance shots.
10. (figuratively, uncountable) Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.
11. (countable, uncountable) Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.
12. (countable) A meteorite consisting primarily of metallic iron (mixed with a small amount of nickel), as opposed to one composed mainly of stony material.
13. (countable, uncountable) A safety curtain in a theatre.
14. (countable, slang, uncountable) Dumb bombs, those without guidance systems.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Made of the metal iron.
2. (figuratively, not-comparable) Strong (as of will), inflexible.

Verb

1. (transitive) To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.
2. (intransitive) To engage in such pressing of clothing.
3. (archaic, transitive) To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
4. (transitive) To furnish, clad, or arm with iron.

Synonyms

metal

🤘

steel

press

flatiron

smoothing iron

Fe

metallic element

harsh

made of iron

stroke

stern

ferrum

ferrous

copper

iron out

unrelenting

strong

branding iron

flat-iron

cast-iron

inflexible

ferric

atomic number 26

clothes iron

iron clothes

cruel

thunder

🌩️

metallic

knife

🔪

brand

severe

tough

beat

hammer

🔨

flat iron

flat

caress

blistering

firm

fetter

can

irony

ironmongery

ferro

calender

bitter

intense

inexorable

homosexual

extend

Translations

fer

Eisen

hierro

ferro

ferro

ijzer

σίδερο

ferrum

fer à repasser

ferro

demir

σίδηρος

planchar

repasser

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈaɪən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: iren

Inherited from Old English: īsern

In summary

From Middle English iren, from Old English īsern, īsærn, īren, īsen, from Proto-West Germanic *īsarn, from Proto-Germanic *īsarną (“iron”), from Proto-Celtic *īsarnom (“iron”), a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésh₂r̥ (“blood”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots airn, ern (“iron”), Yola eeren (“iron”), Saterland Frisian Iersen (“iron”), West Frisian izer (“iron”), Bavarian Eisn (“iron”), Cimbrian aizarn (“iron”), Dutch ijzer (“iron”), German, Luxembourgish Eisen (“iron”), German Low German Isen (“iron”), Limburgish iezer (“iron”), Mòcheno aisn (“iron”), Vilamovian ȧjza (“iron”), West Flemish yzer (“iron”), Yiddish אײַזן (ayzn, “iron”), Danish jern, jærn (“iron”), Faroese jarn (“iron”), Icelandic járn (“iron”), Jamtish járn, jáðn (“iron”), Norwegian Bokmål jern (“iron”), Norwegian Nynorsk jarn, jern, jønn (“iron”), Swedish jern, jaͤrn, järn (“iron”), Gothic 𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌽 (eisarn, “iron”).

Sentences

Blood and iron Letter .

An iron truss roof covers the building .